Moments of great fear in the town of Madonna delle Armi in Cerchiara di Calabria, where a school bus suddenly caught fire in front of the school and right in the town centre. The tragedy was only averted because the children had just gotten out of the vehicle moments before the fire.
The driver and companions on board were also unharmed. The causes of the fire are still being investigated, although initial hypotheses speak of a possible technical failure.
Rescue intervention
The fire broke out in an area where there are also some civilian homes, increasing concern among residents. The volunteers of the “Gruppo Lucano” civil protection intervened on site and subsequently the firefighters of the Castrovillari detachment, who put out the flames and made the area safe.
Also present were the carabinieri of the local station led by Commander Tiberio Perrone and the municipal police. The pupils of the Piana primary school were taken to school with a replacement vehicle.
The mayor: “Accidental and unpredictable event”
“The episode has inevitably generated apprehension within the city community,” declared mayor Giuseppe Ramundo, explaining that the administration took immediate action to ensure public safety.
According to what was reported by the mayor, the checks carried out would have traced the incident to “an accidental, sudden and unpredictable event”, probably caused by a short circuit.
Finally, the municipal administration underlined how the episode did not cause any injuries or particular inconveniences thanks to the speed of the rescue operations and the coordination between the agencies and forces that intervened.